U.S. accuses Islamic State of genocide

The Islamic State is committing genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shiite Muslims in Iraq and Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry declared on Thursday, a historic announcement that nonetheless is unlikely to spur greater U.S. military action against the terrorist network.

The declaration is a rare one — the U.S. has a record of trying to avoid the term “genocide,” which carries with it political, moral and some legal obligations. Officials say the only other time the U.S. has formally used the term in an ongoing conflict was in 2004, when it described the atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region.

The Islamic State “is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology and by actions, in what it says, what it believes and what it does,” Kerry said in an appearance Thursday morning. “Naming these crimes is important, but what is essential is to stop them.”

Kerry’s decision was welcomed by lawmakers and faith-based advocacy groups who have lobbied for months to ensure that Christians would be included among the genocide victims of the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS, ISIL or Da’esh. Kerry’s inclusion of Christians also defuses a potential Republican attack line during this year’s presidential campaign, even though Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has already declared she believes the Islamic State is committing genocide against Christians.

Kerry stressed that his decision did not pre-judge any court verdicts against alleged individual perpetrators in the future.

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a non-binding resolution declaring that the Islamic State was committing genocide against a range of groups including Christians. Congress had given Kerry until Thursday to make his determination, but on Wednesday, the State Department said he would need more time, making his announcement a surprise.

Still, administration officials have long warned that a declaration of genocide does not mean that the U.S. is legally obliged to step up its military involvement in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq or Syria. The U.S. already is leading a coalition of dozens of countries who are backing up Iraqi forces battling the jihadists. U.S. Special Forces also are on the ground in Syria carrying out operations against the group, whose members subscribe to a severe form of Sunni Islam.

Advocates of using the term genocide, however, insist that it is important because it could help galvanize the international fight against the terror network, possibly spur potential recruits to stay away from it, and in the long run help bring perpetrators to justice in international tribunals.

Kerry stressed that his decision did not pre-judge any court verdicts against alleged individual perpetrators in the future. He insisted, however, that the U.S. would strongly back efforts to bring the suspects to justice.

“Lack of access to key areas made it impossible to develop a fully detailed and comprehensive picture of all that Da’esh is doing and all that it has done,” Kerry said. “We have not been able to compile a complete record. I think that’s obvious on its face. We don’t have access to everywhere. But over the past months, we have conducted a review of the vast amount of information gathered by the State Department, by the intelligence community, by outside groups, and my conclusion is based on that information and on the nature of the acts reported.”

The secretary also declared that the Islamic State had committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing against other groups on its territory, including Kurds.

The Obama administration has struggled for months over the genocide determination, with some officials pushing for as broad a declaration as possible, while others insisted the process had to be a strictly legal one. State Department lawyers went through reams of evidence and sifted through an array of relevant laws and treaties. Technically, Kerry has the final say on the issue.

When it was reported last fall that the administration may declare that Yazidis — a religious group whose members have been enslaved and killed by the Islamic State — were victims of genocide but not others, Christian groups mobilized to demand their community’s suffering be recognized in the same way. They were assisted by Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress, some of whom immediately applauded Kerry’s decision Thursday.

“The United States has now spoken with clarity and moral authority,” said Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), in a statement to POLITICO. “I sincerely hope that the genocide designation will raise international consciousness, end the scandal of silence, and create the preconditions for the protection and reintegration of these ancient faith communities into their ancestral homelands.”

Carl Anderson, chief executive of the Knights of Columbus, a leading Catholic group that recently issued a report on atrocities against Christians by the Islamic State, said Kerry’s decision was just the first step.

“Following this declaration, America must continue to focus on those being killed in this genocide, and our country, and the international community, must make sure the slaughter ends and that these innocent people are protected. There is much work still to be done,” he said.

The inclusion of Shiite Muslims also was a recognition of how badly members of that sect have suffered at the hands of the Sunni extremists, who view Shiites as heretics. In his statement on Thursday, Kerry listed examples of killings of the various groups, including noting that, as far as the Shiites went, Islamic State leaders had pledged to “cleanse the land of their filth.”

Mustafa Akhwand, executive director of Shia Rights Watch, said the mention of Shiites was “very important” because it gave the U.S. a “more legitimate voice” as it tries to ease the crisis.